Wrench



Maya, 1941.

o. A. EIDE WRENCH Filed Now 4, 1939 INVENTOR 0L: 4. E105 UM. ATTORNEYS Patented May 6, 1941 UNITED STATES are; OFFICE WRENCH Ole A. Eide, Minneapolis, Minn.

Application November 4, 1939, Serial No. 302,886

(or. sir- 111) 7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in wrenches.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a wrench which may be quickly and easily adjusted to the work and by which a powerful and conveniently carried out turning motion may be transmitted to the nut or bolt. A further object is to provide a tool of this kind in a simple and durable form.

These and other more detailed and specific objects will be disclosed in the course of the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is an elevation of my improved wrench, the work engaging jaws being shown in a closed condition.

Fig, 2 is a sectional detail view through an upper part of the wrench shank and associated Fig. 7 is a cross section along the line l'i in e Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a cross section along the line 38 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 9 is a detail View of an adjustable link for operating the jaws.

Fig. 10 is'an enlarged section along the line |-lil in Fig. 5.

Referring now with more particularity to the drawing, my improved wrench is shown as taking the general form and shape of a carpenters brace, having the shank A, U-shaped handle B,

and. knob C by which the shank may be pressed to the work and rotated by turning said handle B,

In accordance with my invention the shank A is tubular in form providing an axial Passageway H and has its lower, or work engaging, end l2 enlarged as shown. Fitted over the other end of the shank is a housing l3 having a passage 54 communicating with the shank and to which housing the handle B is rigidly connected at it. A gear shaft I6 is journaled at ll in this housing l3 at right angles to the axis of the shank A, and at one end carries a small gear I8 which meshes with a toothed rack l9 secured at 20 on the operating rod 2! Said operating rod is slidably but non-rotatably mounted through the passageway H in bearings 22 therein and. at its lower or outer end carries a head member 23 diametrically slotted to receive a Series (four, more or less) of links 24 which are pivotally connected thereto at 25.

Work engaging jaws 26 of elongated fiat form are arranged in radially and endwise extended slots 27 in the enlarged end 12 of the shank, and are pivoted intermediate their ends upon pins 23 anchored in said shank. The outer ends of the jaws may thus project endwise from the shank while their inner ends fall at opposite sidesof the head member 23, and the jaws may furthermore oscillate about the pins 28 to move radially with respect to the aXis of the shank, thereby varying the spacing between their outer ends.

For this purpose the links 24 are pivoted at their outer ends at 29 to the inner ends of the jaws 25, and it will be readily apparent that, by shifting the head member 23 axially, these links, which normally stand in an unfolded or radially extended position (Fig. 4), will be partially folded and will thereby draw the inner ends of the jaws together to spread their Work engaging ends,+as seen in Fig. 5. This action may of course be brought about by rotation of the shaft it to cause the gear 18 to move the rack I9 and so shift the rod 2! within the shank,

Such movement of the gear shaft 16 is carried out by a control mechanism designated generally at 39. In its simplest form this mechanism comprises a knurled collar 3| journaled on handle 18 and carrying at one extended end (within the housing 13) a gear 32 which meshes with a similar gear 33 on the aforesaid gear shaft I6. Thus, by rotating this collar, the shaft i5 may be turned and the gear 18 will actuate the rack is and adjust the jaws either together or apart, depending on the direction in which said collar is turned.

The collar, however, carries a dog or pawl 3 3 which, under influence of a small spring 35, engages a ratchet member or ratchet teeth 35 on the handle B. This ratchet assembly is designed to normally prevent rotation of the collar 3| in the direction which would cause the jaws 26 to spread apart except when the pawl 34 is disengaged by actual intent, The jaws will thus hold their adjustment once set to the nut, which is indicated at D in Fig. 5, and cannot spread under pressure.

oi the foregoing I may employ the variation of .the operating mechanism shown in Fig. 2, wherein the shaft i5, driven as afore said from the collar 3!, instead of directly driving the rack is, is provided with a worm pinion 37 meshing with a small worm gear 38 on a short cross shaft 3%. This shaft 39 in turn carries a gear 49 which meshes with the rack I9. The structure thus permits possibly more precise setting of the jaws due to the worm drive employed.

The outer work engaging ends of the jaws 25 are provided with grip members 4! which are pivotally mounted on cross pins d2 through the jaws and may oscillate thereon to always stand parallel with the gripped faces of the nut or work. These grip members have grooves 43 in their inner faces so that, in the case of hexagonal nuts for instance, any two of the jaws maybe engaged readily with diametrically opposed corners. The centers of the members are further provided with inwardly turned webs it which fit in slotst in the :jaws to pivotally engage the pins 52 and supplement the mounting of the outer ears it and strengthen the assembly.

The links 24 may, if desired, be replaced by adjustable links 24a shown in Fig. 9, and which may be varied in length by turning the threaded collar t? turnbuckle fashion. The maximum or minimum spacing of the jaws may thus be adjusted, as may be required, while retainingthe approximate range of adjustment within such extremes. in order to permit access to'the interior of the shank for making such adjustments, or for other reasons, a cover plate i8 is pro: vided over .an opening in one side of the shank end.i2.. This plate is retained in place by a screw 59 and by :pilot pins 5i! which prevent any possible spreading at the slot 21 adjacent the opening.

It will "be apparent from the foregoing that I have provided .a wrench which may be readily adjusted to the work, and by which a powerful leverage may be rapidly and easily exerted.

It is understood that suitable modifications may be made in the structure as disclosed, provided such modifications come within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Iaving now therefore fully illustrated and described my invention, what I claim to be new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l. A wrench comprising a tubular shank, a handle extending laterally from the shank, a housing connecting the shank and handle, an operating rod shiftably mounted in the shank, work engaging jaws pivoted on the shank and movable to work engaging positions by shifting movement of the rod, 2. gear train rotatably mounted in the housing, a rack on the operating rod engaged by one gear of the gear train, a collar rotatably mounted on the handle, and a gear on said collar operatively arranged for actuating said gear train. 7

2. A wrench comprising a tubular shank, a handle extending laterally from the shank, a housing connecting the shank and handle, an operating rod shiftably mounted in the shank, work engaging jaws pivoted on the shank and movable to work engaging positions by shifting movement of the rod, a gear train rotatably mounted in the housing, a rack on the operating rod engaged by one gear of the gear train, a

collar rotatably mounted on the handle, a gear on said collar operatively arranged for actua ing said gear train, and ratchet means for normally locking the collar against movement in one direction.

3. A wrench comprising a tubular shank, a

handle extending laterally from the shank, a

. said operating rod, and a gear driven by said worm and worm gear and meshed with said rack for shifting the operating rod and adjusting the aws.

4. A wrench comprising a tubular shank, a handle for turning the same, the said shank having an enlarged, partiaily hollow and slotted end, jaws pivotally mounted in the slots, an operating rod shiftably mounted between the jaws, means for shifting the rod, links pivotally connected between the rod and jaws and adapted to adjust the latter in response to shifting movement of the rod,-the said links being of adjustable length, and the said hollow end of the shank having a lateral opening affording access to the links for adjusting the same.

5. A wrench comprising a tubular shank, a handle for turning the same, the said shank having an enlarged, partially hollow end, jawspivotally mounted in the said hollow end, an operatin rod shiftably mounted between the jaws, means for shifting the rod, links pivotally connected between the rod and jaws and adapted to adjust the latter in response to shifting movement of the rod, the said links being of adjustable length, and a removable cover plate on the enlarged end of the shank and adapted when removed to expose the links and connections within said shank end for adjustment purposes.

6. In a wrench, a shank, a handle extending laterally from the. shank, jaws m'ovably'mounted in the shank, a rack member for moving the jaws, a collar journaled on the handle, a shaft journaled on an axis parallel with the axis of rotation of the collar, a gear on the shaft for engaging and shifting the rack, a gear secured to the collar for rotation thereby, and another gear on the shaft meshing with the gear on the collar whereby said shaft may be rotated by the collar.

7. In a wrench, a shank, a handle extending from the shank for turning the same, a collar rotatably mounted adjacent the junction of the handle and shank, jaws movably mounted on the shank, means including a rack for moving the jaws, a shaft journaled alongside the rack and a gear on said shaft for engaging the rack, a worm shaft journaled adjacent the collar, a worm on the worm shaft, a worm gear on the first mentioned shaft and meshing with the said worm, a gear on the collar, and a gear on the worm shaft meshing with the said gear on the collar whereby rotation of the collar will rotate the shafts and move the rack and jaws.

OLE A. EIDBL 

